This and That ~ A Christmas Season

I could list all the things we haven’t done (family pictures, Christmas cards, Christmas shopping and wrapping, Christmas tree and decorations… ahem), but instead I’ll list the things we have been enjoying this Christmas season.

• Russ took the kids to our local Story Book Land. Lola sat on Santa’s lap.
  
• We celebrated a belated St. Nicholas Day with our best friends: making and eating marzipan, drinking hot spiced cider, exchanging gifts, putting cloves in oranges, and finding gold coins in our shoes. We spent an hour or two in the afternoon browsing a gigantic display of nativity sets from all over the world.
  
• We watched White Christmas together as a family. The kids watched Miracle on 34th Street and The Nutcracker (on DVD).
  
• Luke made fudge and caramels. I made raspberry almond thumbprint cookies. We made marzipan a few times.
  
• Russ and I attended a Christmas party given by one of his clients.
  
• We celebrated Rilla’s 3rd birthday at Yogurt Extreme.
  
• We attended a production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at a local church (after the boys had all read the book).
  
• We’re listening to A Christmas Carol (unabridged) narrated by Adam Andrews while following along in our illustrated version.
  
• Levi and Luke and I will be attending (with family and friends) a live radio theater style production of A Christmas Carol this weekend.
  
• I have my book club Christmas goodie exchange tomorrow.
  
• We’re riding a trolley through town with friends on Friday evening, looking at Christmas lights and singing carols.
  
• We stopped by IKEA and purchased a large dresser for the boys’ room, Russ put it together, and I cleaned and organized their room, which desperately (and I do mean desperately) needed it. The room was so charming when we moved in 9 years ago, but it has suffered continual abuse and the boys have grown so much bigger. It is close to impossible to keep it relatively clean and neat, charming is beyond my ability.
  
• I’m trying to clean the house enough to be inspired to decorate it. Now that the boys’ room is finished, maybe I’ll work on the house this weekend (though Lola’s room is also on the to-do list).

And that’s about it. We’ll see what this next week brings…